Ornamental device



April 1966 E. GALLANT ET AL 3,244,870

ORNAMENTAL DEVICE Filed March 28, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet l LIA MIL-.1 u

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INVENTORS EDWARD GALLANT BY WILLIAM LANG m, I JZMM April 5, 1966 E. GALLANT ET AL 3,244,870

ORNAMENTAL DEVICE Filed March 28, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3 FIG. 4

INVENTORS EDWARD GALLANT WILLIAM LAN 6 Jim/ c1104 April 5, 1966 E. GALLANT ET AL ORNAMENTAL DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 28, 1963 FIG. 8

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INVENTORS EDWARD GALLANT WIUJAM LANG FIG.

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April 5, 196% E. GALLAFNT ET AL 3,244,870

ORNAMENTAL DEVI CE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 28, 1965 FIG. l2

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INVENTOR5 EDWARD GALLANT WILLIAM LAN G Kalil/lie FIG. I5

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United States Patent 3,244,870 ORNAMENTAL DEVICE Edward Gailant, Rd). 2, Cambridge Springs, lia., and William Lang, 22 Mapie Drive, Edinboro, Pa. Filed Mar. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 268,694 1 Claim. (Cl. 240-10) This invention relates to ornaments and, more particularly, to Christmas tree ornaments.

It has always been a problem to make outdoor Christmas tree ornaments which will be attractive and inexpensive. The present invention sets forth a simple, economical way of providing an illuminated outdoor ornament which will have an attractive appearance.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide an improved economical Christmas tree ornament.

A further object of the invention is to provide a Christmas tree ornament made of a support having light bulbs thereon which is adapted to have a mist of water sprayed thereover to form an illuminated Christmas light.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Christmas tree ornament which is in construction simple, economical to build, and simple and etficient to use.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a Christmas tree ornament partly in cross section showing the ornament with ice thereover;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the ornament shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an ornament formed of three structural legs with light bulbs supported thereon forming another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view of an ornament having two main legs and a central leg forming a V-shaped support;

FIG. 5 -is an enlarged view of the light bulb support bracket shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is another embodiment of a light bulb for support on a device such as shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a view of yet another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a front view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 9 with a larger screen thereon;

FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is an isometric View of yet another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view taken on line 1313 of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 shows an isometric view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 15 is a view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 14 with a part thereof broken away for better understanding;

FIG. 16 shows yet another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 17 shows yet another embodiment of the invention.

Now with more particular reference to the drawings, the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 discloses a frame 10 made of superimposed hoops 11, 12, 13,

ice

and 14 supported one above the other. Inclined spacer members 16 are fastened to the hoops 11 and 12 to hold them in spaced relation and the hoops 13 and 14 are supported in spaced relation by spacer members 17. Spacer members 18 extend across the loops 13 and 14 and terminate at the upper end at apex 19. Spacers 20 aid in holding the hoops 13 and 14 in spaced relation. Elongated spacers 21 hold the three hoops 12, 13, and 14 in spaced relation.

Bulbs 22 are supported in bulb supports 23 and they may be attached to the hoops 11, 12, or 14 or to the spacer members 16, 17, 18, 20, or 21 by means of bulb support brackets, such as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 or similar supports.

Wire netting such as 24 may be attached to the hoops 11, 12, 13, or 14 or any other suitable way.

To use the device, the bulbs are connected by means of electric wires and a spray nozzle such as shown schematically at 3i) is provided to spray a fine mist of water onto the framework shown in FIG. 2 and on the netting 24. This mist of water will freeze on the framework and encase the bulbs as well as the frame so that when the bulbs are turned on, the entire ice is illuminated and has a very novel and interesting appearance.

The nozzle must be of a type that will. produce a relatively fine spray of cone shape such as the type of nozzle commonly used in agricultural insecticide spraying. This mist results in a rime type of ice which is somewhat porous. The nozzle must be maintained at a distance from the tree of, for example, three or four feet. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3, spaced legs 111 are made in the form of angle irons and they are fastened together at the top by means of suitable bolts 112. Bulbs 122 are supported on brackets 123 on the angle irons and as many of these as desired can be supported thereon. They may be supported by means of support brackets shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 or other suitable brackets. The bulbs which are to be supported on the brackets are encased in transparent cans such as can 124 to hold the ice in spaced relation to the bulbsso that the bulbs will not be materially attested by the ice and vice versa. The support can be sprayed with water in below freezing temperatures as suggested in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the entire device illuminated.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, spaced legs 211 may be formed of angle irons and fastened together at the top to form an apex by means of Welding, bolts, or otherwise. A cross bracket 212 is attached between the legs 211, and, to it, a third leg 213 is attached. This will form a tripod like device which can be supported on the ground. Brackets 223 have openings 224 in a resilient member 225 which supports the bulb. Slots 227 receive the flanges of the angle irons to hold the brackets 223 in place. Water can be sprayed over this device as in the other embodiments to form an interesting ornamental decoration.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6, brackets 325 are made of bent wire and extend into slots 326 in legs 311. The lower ends of the wire are slightly bent at 327 to hold them in place. Hooks 328 are formed on the upper ends of the wire to hold them in the upper slot 326. The wires are bowed at 329 to receive a suit able bulb socket.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 7, a central support 411 has spaced radiating legs 421 which are attached to the support 411 above a point 428. This point 428 may be inserted in the ground to support the device. A hoop 412 is supported to the main support by radiating ams 416 which are fastened to the central support 411 and to the inside of the hoop 412. Spaced bulbs 422 and 425 are supported by suitable 3 brackets such as shown in the embodiments of the invention. These brackets support the bulbs and hold them for connection to suitable electrical wires.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 8, a central support 511 is fastened to, a bracket 512 at the top and to radiating legs 513 at the bottom. The legs 513 rest on the surface of the ground while a point 514 may enter the ground. Side legs 515 extend and diverge downwardly from the bracket 512 to which they are attached. Suitable bulbs 522 are supported on the legs 515 by means of suitable brackets such as shown in FIGS. 3, 5, or 6 and these bulbs are connected by means of a wire 517.

The embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 may be sprayed by a mist of water at freezing temperature as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to provide a suitable body of ice with the lights therein.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a vertical support 611 is attached to a horizontal support 612 to form a cross, the bottom part of which may be inserted into the ground of supported in any other way until the ice is formed thereon. Bulbs 622 are supported on the cross by means of suitable brackets such as shown in the other embodiments of the invention and have screen netting covers 618.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 11 has a vertical member 711 attached to a horizontal member 712. The vertical member 711 may be supported on the ground or the like by a suitable bracket. Bulbs 722 are supported on the horizontal and vertical members. Screen netting 718 may be fastened over the bulbs 722 to protect them slightly from the mist at freezing temperatures so that a solid body of ice does not freeze around the bulbs when water is sprayed on them by a nozzle such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a transparent cover for a bulb is shown which holds the ice in spaced relation to the bulbs. Upper hoops 812 are attached to lower hoops 811 by means of spacers 813. Hoops 814 of wire are attached to the hoops 811 and 812 by means of wire struts 815' and they are thus held in place. Legs 815 may be provided to support the device on the ground.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, details of the bulb and bulb cover used in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 are shown. They have a bottom disk 916 disposed around the base 923 of bulb 922. The hole through which the base 923 extends may have radiating resilient members 924 which extend upwardly and may embrace the bulb. A glass or other transparent cup like member 925 surrounds the bulb 922,

FIG. 15 shows the device of FTG. 14 with the bulb removed showing a hole 926 through which the bulb extends and struck up members 927 which frictionally engage the inside of the rim of the glass cup member 925.

FIG. 17 shows a straight conical shaped member made of a transparent sheet of plastic 1011 with bulbs 1012 supported thereunder on a leg 1013 which may be similar to the angle iron shown in one of the legs in FIGS. 3 and 4. A plurality of these legs could be provided under the transparent sheet 11111 and when the ice is frozen thereover, it will form an interesting pleasingly appearing device.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 16, rods 1111 are welded together in the shape of a star with bulbs 1122 in spaced position thereon. This star may be supported on the ground or it may be supported slightly above the ground by suitable legs and ice formed on it by spraying it with a nozzle at freezing temperatures.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood as broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claim.

VVe claim:

An ornament comprising a frame made of vertically spaced hoops, each said hoop being smaller than the hoop below it, struts fixed to said hoops holding them in spaced relation, thereby forming the general shape of an inverted cone, a screen mesh member on said frame, spaced brackets on said frame, bulbs on said brackets, an inverted transparent cup over each said bulb, and ice encapsulating said hoops, struts, screen mesh member, and bulbs whereby an il'luminatable ornament is formed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 609,814 8/1898 Koser 62-74 1,507,195 9/1924 Moore. 1,783,136 11/1930 Paisley 240-81 X 2,186,327 1/ 1940 Crosser 240.10 2,414,866 1/1947 Glaser 240--10 2,586,791 2/1952 Dattilo 240.10 X 2,587,855 3/ 1952 Johnson 1 6266 2,818,666 1/1958 Wilson 240102 2,894,345 7/1959 Bushnell 240-40 3,096,943 7/1963 Forrer 240-10 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner, 

